Photo Credit: Shane Clausing

By Shane Clausing

Bylaw C-1426

Grande Prairie’s business community prepared with mask bylaw in force

Oct 27, 2020 | 12:22 PM

As of Monday afternoon, the City and County of Grande Prairie had combined for a total of 106 active cases of COVID-19. As a result of the 100 active case threshold being met, the City of Grande Prairie’s mandatory face covering bylaw has come into effect.

The bylaw, which was passed by Grande Prairie City Council on September 8, states that face coverings must be worn inside all indoor public spaces, including businesses or facilities hat are open to the public, at all times.

The law will remain in effect until both the City and County of Grande Prairie have less than 100 combined active cases of COVID-19 for a 14-day period.

It also means that all businesses must have signage posted about the bylaw inside their facility.

Larry Gibson, the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce, says businesses in the city have been ready for a law like this to come into effect.

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“Our businesses have been very upfront and prepared. Since the start, back in March, they’ve been following it and getting ready for it. I would say that 99.9 per cent of the current businesses here are prepared for that, and I think our residents have been preparing for that as well.”

“The majority of our businesses in the community are small businesses and they’ve had materials and the equipment ready and in place. They may not have been enforcing it or making it mandatory in their business, but they’ve had all the equipment and materials in place to abide by the bylaw.”

Gibson says that while some businesses didn’t agree with the bylaw when it was passed, he says now, they don’t have a choice.

“It’s a very split conversation out there. We have had some feedback from businesses that were not in favour of a mandatory mask bylaw. Through the Chamber we discussed it and if it was in the best interest of public safety and if it would help keep our businesses open to help us get through this, then we would support. Now that the bylaw is enforced, we are going to have to abide by it just to keep those doors open and keep the community going.”

Gibson says it is not up to each business to provide masks for customers that enter a facility.

“If people aren’t going to be wearing (the masks) in the store, they’re going to have to find another store or find a mask to wear to get into the store. It’s not a mandatory to have masks available for individuals.”

With the bylaw in effect, Gibson adds that residents in Grande Prairie need to come together to help keep things under control.

“We need to work together and use our common sense and be safe out there and ensure that we can contain the numbers so we don’t have anymore drastic measures that are going to affect our local businesses.”

Businesses can print of the mandatory face covering signage provided by the City of Grande Prairie here.

The fine for an individual not wearing a face covering is $100 and the failure for displaying proper signage is $200.